President Vladimir Putin has ordered the creation of a new reserve force as part of steps to improve Russia's military readiness and training.
Putin's decree, published late on July 17, ordered the government to find financing for the force from the existing Defense Ministry budget.
The move comes as Russia's relations with the West fell to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War over the crisis in Ukraine.
The new reserve force will be distinct from the existing military reserves because the personnel will train regularly and will be paid a monthly sum.
Russia already has several million military reservists consisting of former servicemen, but they do little training due to restrictions on how often they can be called up.
